Delimitation benefits Madhya Pradesh tribal leaders most

Bhopal, Nov 10 (IANS) The delimitation exercise in Madhya Pradesh that changed the boundaries of assembly constituencies this year may have upset several political bigwigs, including seven ministers and 54 legislators belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but it seems to have benefited the tribal leaders. While the seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) have gone up from 41 to 47, the ones for Scheduled Castes (SC) has increased by one, from 34 to 35. The number of general seats, meanwhile, has gone down from 155 to 148 in the 231-member state assembly, which includes one nominated Anglo-Indian lawmaker.

Of these, the BJP has 36 sitting Scheduled Tribe legislators, 30 representing Scheduled Castes and 107 who won from general seats in the December 2003 polls.

The increase in the number of seats reserved for the SC and the ST is however a major cause of concern for the BJP, given the presumed growing clout of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the Gwalior-Chambal and Baghelkhand regions and that of Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) in Mahakaushal.

“In fact, the 82 seats reserved for the SC and the ST hold the key for the formation of the next government,” said a political observer.

“The BJP had performed remarkably well in the previous election on these seats, though parties like the BSP and GGP could play a spoiler for the ruling party on the reserved seats this time round,” the observer added.